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163 thousand Lebanese families under food poverty line

3-6-2020

Citing a report recently published by the World Food Program (WFP), Al Akhbar newspaper revealed today that the poverty rate in Lebanon is expected to increase from 37% in 2019 to nearly 45% in 2020. About 22% of the population is likely to be hit by extreme poverty and food insecurity as compared to 16% during 2019. The newspaper went on to say, that these rates, based on World Bank studies, have produced shocking estimates that will become a reality to mark the exceptional year of 2020 with around 335,000 poor Lebanese households, including 163,000 families under the food poverty line, equivalent to some one million persons in a country of four million population. (Al Akhbar, June 2, 3, 2020)
 

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Local initiatives in Bisri to develop farming 

3-6-2020

Following PSP leader Walid Jumblat’s alleged confirmation that the Bisri Dam project is now behind us, a number of environmental activists formed so-called “Ahl al Ard” (people of earth) committee to restore life to Marj Bisri, Al Akhbar daily reported. They launched individual initiatives to invest in the neglected lands either by its direct proprietors or authorized parties in coordination with mayors and makhateers of the towns of Bisri, Midan, Aray, Banawati, Al Harf al Ghbatiyeh and Bhanin Banawati. On the subject, Al Akhbar spoke to Karim Kenaan, activist in “The people of Marj Bisri Committee” who explained that similar projects reflect a return to land and roots. They seek to secure food through local agricultural production after most jobs came to an abrupt halt due to the Corona pandemic and the unprecedented economic crisis in the country. These initiatives, Kenaan maintained, could develop into a cooperative for organizing, the distribution of and the sale of production. It will initially consist of farmers and makhateer of involved towns and villages, Kenaan said, pointing out that some 150 dunums of lands will be invested by new people. Most likely, they will grow wheat to meet the needs of Bisri and the environs at symbolic prices. (Al Akhbar, June 3, 2020)
 

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Rashayya encourages local farming to support livelihoods

1-6-2020

In the framework of boosting agriculture and reclaiming neglected fields for economic investment, the mayor of Rashayya, president of the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Sheikh, Sale7h Abu Mansur, launched a full-scale agricultural plan to help farmers and encourage residents to return to and invest in their land. In an interview with Al Diyar daily, Mansur explained that the initiative starts with plowing land, harvesting, milling and crushing of crops and grains using state-of-the-art machinery provided by the UNDP, as well as upgrading an ancient mill to this end. This, Mansur expounded, will meet the needs of rural people and reduce cost by 80% on farmers. The above scheme, he maintained, strengthens food security when farmers urgently need assistance to overcome grim living conditions, prohibitive price hike and the shortages in basic food items, in addition to the decline of the purchasing power of the Lebanese. (Al Diyar, May 30, 2020)
 

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Saida “Soup Kitchen” feeds 3,000 people daily

29-5-2020

In its issue of today, Al Akhbar newspaper spotlighted the “Soup Kitchen” in Saida set up by Martyr Rashid Brom Dispensary, an affiliate of the “Social Solidarity Foundation”. The kitchen, to recall, opened in the wake of the October 17 Uprising to provide hot meals to poor residents of Saida and those hardly hit by the resulting calamitous living and economic conditions. Today, the Kitchen caters to around 3000 persons as compared to 400 at its opening date, Al Akhbar reported. However, the newspaper went on to say, the new developments and the increasing demand on the soup kitchen has developed a funding crisis, which, luckily, the Solidarity Foundation was able to overcome through the flow of service, in-kind and financial contributions. Noting, that scores of workers, students, teachers, housewives and lawyers participate in the preparation of the meals supervised by volunteer chefs. (Al Akhbar, Mary 29, 2020)

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US$ at LL 3200 raises food prices by 110%

28-5-2020

The Banque du Liban governor, Riad Salameh, issued a circular yesterday to amend facilities the BDL could provide to commercial banks to support imports of food products and industrial raw material. According to the circular, banks can request from BDL to secure 90% of the value of imported raw material in foreign currency to meet the import needs of business enterprises at a total of USD 100 million or its equivalent in other foreign currencies (https://bit.ly/2M46pIO). Noting, that BDL’s intervention came in response to the difficulties the food import sector has been facing as a result of shortage in dollar liquidity, which caused a prohibitive surge in product prices reaching nearly 300%, according to Saadeddine Hamidi Sakr of the General Labor Union, Al Diyar reported. For its part, Al Akhbar daily wrote, the new BDL circular indicates that the exchange rate will be determined according to the mechanism stipulated by the provisions of Article 7 of the Basic Decision No. 7548 involving financing imports. It sets the rate of cash exchange in foreign currency at LL 3200. With this, Al Akhbar went on to say, the decision becomes the first official text supporting the rise in prices of basic food commodities, and thus undermining the purchasing power of Lebanese consumers as it will results in raising prices by a minimum of 110%. At the same time, it helps merchants reconfigure and rebuild their capital from the pockets of the Lebanese twice, once from the depositors’ money confiscated by the banks and the BDL, and another from the wage earners. Furthermore, Saqr mentioned that he met with economy minister this week to discuss the provision of dollars for the importation of basic goods within a set ceiling and exchange rate, and that he received a pledge to secure the dollar at a rate of LL 3200. Saqr pointed out, however, that the BDL mechanism shall not resolve the dilemma, as the food basket targeted by the BDL circular does not include canned food, vegetables, fruits, chocolate, etc. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, An Nahar, May 21, 22, 23, 28, 2020)

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“Ghallatuna" to encourage home farming

27-5-2020

Former minister, Salim Sayegh, last week launched the “Ghalletna” project through VOLUNTEERS association with the aim to inspire people and farmers to invest in and restore life to their neglected lands. This is done through starting simple home gardens in a way to strengthen social solidarity and enhance the relationship with earth. In an interview with Al Diyar daily, Sayegh stressed that basically the project aims to empower every Lebanese household to face the imminent risk of food insecurity. “Ghallatuna”, he explained, started as a pilot project to be tested before being mainstreamed. The pilot targeted some 450 households in the Ftouh-Kestrouan area covering more than 40 towns and villages, where each case was studied separately through questionnaires that identify the criteria for the selection of lands for intervention. similarly, the project director, agriculture engineer, Ruba Bou Ezz, expounded that “Ghallatuna” functions along six axis: 1) the distribution of seedlings and instructions and guidelines on how to plant them, 2), follow up and intervention upon request from beneficiaries, 3) constant training on home farming, 4) encouraging and structuring agricultural volunteering, and finally, 5) preparation of traditional mouneh. (Al Diyar, May 23, 2020)
 

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Boosting agriculture: zero-interest loans, seedlings distribution in Zghorta

21-5-2020

The Director General of the ministry of agriculture, Louis Lahoud, underlined the importance of the sector amidst the dire living crisis confronting Lebanon, noting that more than a third of its population depends directly on agriculture. While praising the food emergency plan launched by the ministry, Lahoud said a key eye opener on the vitality of the sector is the cash-strapped country and the suspension of dollar withdrawals from banks, the fact that considerably weakened import activity. Lahoud revealed that his ministry is negotiating with concerned parties to secure zero-interest loans to Lebanese farmers to prop agriculture. On the other hand, NNA reported that the Municipality of Zghorta, through its agriculture office, has embarked on a program to support farms in the Caza through the distribution of seedlings among local farmers. The news agency noted the role of Association Yanabi3 Ehdenyyeh to this effect, where property owners lent it around 30,000 square meters of land for farming. More than half of the long-neglected fields have been cultivated and plantations were divided among local households to cultivate and share the yields with needy families. (Al Diyar, May 20, 2020)

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Restaurant Owners mourn sector, workers denounce neglect

20-5-2020

Following a meeting at its premises, the board of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night Clubs and Pastries announced in a statement yesterday that the waning sector will cease to exist before long. The statement criticized the procrastination by the government in addressing the demands of the tourism industry, noting that political interferences and the quota system have denied the sector its minimum requirements. “Hence, we cannot but mourn the industry and apologize to our employees and children for failing to secure their means of sustenance or to give them a glimmer of hope,” the statement said. Meanwhile, the Union of Syndicates of Hotels, Restaurants, Nutrition and Entertainment Employees in Lebanon denounced in a statement on May 13 the policies of the Social Economic Council which is fundamentally entrusted with the economic and social studies submitted to the cabinet and involved ministers in each economic sector. Regretfully, the statement went on to say, and after several meetings, we have were met with unresponsiveness and indifference towards human resources while at the same time, the rentier economy is constantly fostered and supported. The Council, according to the statement, should be the backbone for a productive rather than a rentier economy, provided it is galvanized by a domestic labor force in a way that supports tourism and approves draft laws and circulars reviewed by the ministry of tourism and the syndicates representing the sector. Remorsefully, this has ended up in a total disregard of the workers’ rights. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, May 14, 20, 2020)

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Minister calls for developing industry, boosting made-in-Lebanon exports

19-5-2020

The minister of industry, Imad Hubbalah, said during a meeting on May 17 for the board of the Industrial Research Institute (IRI), that the latter is one of the leading productive institutions economically and scientifically. Disclosing the government’s plan to support and expand national industry, Hobbalah stressed that the IRI is capable of backing-up this new line of attack through strengthening collaboration with the economic sector, mainly industry. On the occasion, IRI director, Bassam Furn, gave a thorough chronological presentation of the Institute’s activities during 2019, expounding on the current situation. He explained the reasons behind the receding services during the first four months of 2020 due to a decline in the volume of imports and exports, as well as a result of the ongoing economic downturn. Nonetheless, Hubbalah maintained that the IRI sustained the best services for stakeholders and industrialists. On the other hand, the minister last week toured a number of drug plants and pharmaceuticals in the country. His first leg of the tour was Pharmaline in Nahr Ibrahim where he hailed the industry’s vigor and persistence, voicing his pride in medicines manufacturing in Lebanon. He pledged that pharmaceutical plants will be allowed to export to the Arab world and world countries. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, May 14, 19, 2020)

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Economic research partnership between Tripoli Chamber & University

19-5-2020

The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli and the North, Tawfiq Dabusi, signed yesterday a protocol of partnership and cooperation with a delegation of the University of Tripoli-Lebanon (UT) led by Dr. Raafat Mohamad Rashid Mikati to the end of building its economic, research and academic capacities. Dabusi pointed out that collaboration between the Chamber and concerned institutions in the northern capital, in the forefront of which is the University of Tripoli, strengthens the capacities of Tripoli which are indispensable for Lebanon and the Arab and international milieu. The UT delegation however pointed to a few setbacks impeding the work of the university, most importantly a work permit signature from the director general of the Faculty of Education at the Lebanese University, Dr. Fadi Yarak. To this end, Dabusi has said he contacted Yarak who promised to sign before long. (Al Diyar, May 19, 2020)

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